


Labels

by queenmab24601



Series: AGES [3]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Asexuality Spectrum, Character(s) of Color, F/M, Grey-A, Native American Character(s), Reincarnation, Relationship Negotiation, grey-asexual Artemis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 22:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3398519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenmab24601/pseuds/queenmab24601
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After they're married, Artemis and Orion try to have sex. It doesn't exactly work out.</p><p>Or, a look into Artemis's slow development of how to define herself in terms of sexuality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Labels

**Author's Note:**

> This is more a character piece for my AGES verse than anything else, inspired by Starbooks13's comment on my last fic in this verse.  
> It's not quite clear, but Orion is the Native American character in this series, as he was reborn Mescalero Apache. If I'm able to really explore this verse in full, I'll go into that more, but for now it's only more or less mentioned.
> 
> Also, as someone who doesn't define themselves along the asexuality spectrum, please let me know if I've represented anything incorrectly here. I want to make sure everything's presented with respect.

After they're married, Artemis and Orion try to have sex. It doesn't exactly work out.

"You want to put  _what_ in  _where_?" She asks.

"Well, that is how it's done," He says. She is fully clothed, lying next to him on the mattress, on top of the sheets. He's on top of the sheets too, but he's not...clothed. As in, not anything on. Naked. Artemis isn't bothered by this as much as she thinks she should be. He's very beautiful. Aesthetically pleasing. This new body of his is all lightly tanned skin and dark eyes and hair just a tad too long. And she's not not interested. In the um. Sex thing. If that makes sense. 

It's just the actual doing of the act that turns her off.

"I'm just saying," She says. "This sounds much more complicated than it's worth."

Orion sighs. She watches the movement of the breath all down his chest. When she looks back to his face he's staring at her too, and blushing. She smiles at him, more teeth than lip. "You are killing me," He says. 

They both go quiet. She sits up and tucks her knees in close, running her hands down her dress and the way to her feet, the only bare part of her. It's still not quite a joke for them, having lost and found each other. It never will be, but right now it feels particularly painful. She was worried all through their engagement - though it was significantly shorter than last time. Afraid the past would repeat itself. 

"Hey," Orion whispers. She turns to look at him. He's rising up on one arm, leaning towards her. "It's okay," He says. He presses a kiss to her shoulder that she feels all the way through the fabric. It's the 1920s, not the era of strapless dresses and halter tops. Her wedding dress is all white lace and long sleeves. she actually likes it, though she could have been married in trousers and a fedora and been just as happy. "I'm sorry," Orion tells her.

"You're sorry?" She asks. She turns to face him. The tiny braid she had woven into the right side of his hair earlier that night is falling out. She pushes it behind his ear and he leans into her hand. "That was all my fault."

"Technically it was Apollo's fault," He says. His smile is bitter sweet.

Artemis's mouth twists sideways, neither a grimace or a smile. "Yeah, well. I'm messing this up too, sorry. I mean, married people tend to have sex. But," She's starting to ramble and rant now, she knows. But she's earned the right to it, "A wife should be able to decide, especially if she's forced into it. I've been saying it for thousands of years and I'll say it again. Sex is used for power by men to own women. Tarnished once, tarnished forever. Ownership."

Orion smiles at her, then leans back again."I don't want us to be like that," He says. "If we have sex I want it to be because it's the closest we can get." He shrugs. "Or something like that."

She considers him - his long lean lines that trace down his entire body, the muscles that twitch at the press of her hand, his legs, his arms, his hands, his...thing. She laughs, unable to hold it in. 

He sighs again.

"Your penis looks like a dead fish," She says.

"Well that ruined the moment," He gets out of bed, and starts to pull on his clothes.

"So we're not going to do...it," Artemis says.

"Artemis," He still manages to caress her name somehow, which soothes her worries. "If you say it like that, I don't think sex is a good idea."

She's relieved and also a bit disappointed. She likes the idea of sex with Orion, she guesses. The actual execution she's not so into.

 

For a long time, that's just kind of their thing. They talk about it more. Maybe it has something to do with the vow she made that made her this way. Artemis doesn't say broken and doesn't even think it. There's nothing wrong with her at all, clearly. She can't even comprehend wanting sex enough to actually  _do it_. 

Orion, to his eternal credit, won't think of it as an actual issue. She knew there was something special about this one.

"I love you," He says. "Not that I wouldn't want to have sex with you. But, if you aren't comfortable I'm certainly not going to be. And this really shouldn't be the most important thing in the relationship."

 

It's like that for decades. Until the late 1990s into early 2000s. Artemis acknowledges that she was very much behind the curve in terms of sexuality definitions. But there is something to being in a very insulated group and not really liking the internet that results in that sort of situation. 

She can't remember the exact year, much less the date, but it's Athena who sort of starts it all off. It's another awkward large family dinner that Hera sometimes desperately throws together, especially if she thinks Zeus is cheating on her again. 

"So, I think I'm going to start going by aromantic," Athena says. She took to wearing over large Gloria Steinem glasses at the time, saying they felt like another aegis. "If not aromantic asexual."

"What?" Zeus asks.

"Aromantic asexual. Aro Ace," Athena says.

"Sounds like something Artemis is," Ares laughs. He then continues on in the same fashion for five minutes or so until he looks up and locks eyes with Apollo, who seems headed in the direction of murder. He turns and faces Orion with the exact same face. It's the first time they publicly agree on something. Artemis is seated in between them. When Ares finally meets her eyes after all that, she just shrugs.

"It is a funny pun," She allows. "But, um. I'm pretty sure on the romantic thing, I'm set. Now what's this about 'asexual'?"

Athena turns to look at her. "You don't know?"

"I know what celibate and virgin mean," Artemis says. "And I'm good with Greek and Latin roots. But this is a new term for me in regards to people."

"Umm. Asexual - doesn't experience sexual attraction? There's a lot of range in that though and - "

Artemis cuts her off. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't quite sound like it fits me - " Next to her Apollo starts choking on a bread roll. "But um," Artemis shrugs. "I'll have to give it some thought. Good for you, though, I'm glad you're happy. Found a label to apply that you like." It sounds a bit awkward and stilted, but she thinks Athena appreciates it.

It's the biggest dinner topic though, Athena's new label that's really not quite new, until there's a fight for the last spanakopita. It's very difficult to find good ones in the U.S., so all old Greek food inevitably leads to some kind of brawl in the family.

 

The problem with this is that every few years or so Athena will knock on Artemis and Orion's apartment door or call with some new sexuality she's certain will fit Artemis this time.

"Demisexual," She announces in 2005. "Emotional bond before sexual attraction." 

It's close, but doesn't quite fit. Sometimes Artemis uses it in self reference down at the archery range and dog kennel where she works. Not everyone quite knows what that means though and she isn't having sex with the person she slowly became attracted to, so Artemis feels the label doesn't hold exactly right.

In 2010, again, much too late, Athena comes by the door with what feels like the right answer.

"Grey-ace," She says. "It encompasses a lot. Rarely feel sexual attraction, or when you do feel it, it's not enough to act on it. Or can enjoy sex, but under limited circumstances." She clearly ran to the door, and is breathing hard. Artemis quietly listens. "Again," Athena says, "It's a range."

 

Artemis thinks about it that night, watching Orion breathe. It's a lot less creepy than it sounds. It' s reassuring, when she was once used to associating his stillness with death. Plus he falls asleep so easily she has to occupy herself somehow.

"Hey, sweetie?" She asks.

He stirs. If Artemis is using a pet name, it's serious. "Yeah?" He asks, still sounding sleep clogged.

"I think I'm grey asexual." She pauses. "And demi romantic." Artemis has been doing research of her own.

"That sounds nice," Orion says. He promptly falls asleep again. 

She shakes him. "I'm telling you something important."

"What?" Orion blinks tiredly. His eyelashes flutter against his cheek in a rather compelling pattern. "Oh, yes. Labels. Do you want this to be your label?"

"I don't much like labels," Artemis admits. "I just know it works for me. If anyone asks."

"Thank you for telling me," Orion manages. They have become a bit more culturally aware then to know the right words to say, though both still have a long ways to go. "I'll remember." There's a long pause, and she thinks he's fallen asleep again. "Do you want a hug?" He asks.

She looks at him, his crumpled hair and sleep shirt, his abs peeking from the v neck. "That would be nice," She says finally. 

She lays on top of him and listens to him breathe until they both finally fall asleep at the same time. 


End file.
